Webster County, Georgia · Preston
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Webster County averages 1 night a year at 20°F or colder, mostly midwinter, and 9% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 13.7 times a year here, most often in December. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Webster County gets about 13.7 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Webster County, 4.72 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
19% of occupied homes in Webster County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Georgia county median of 7.1%.
With 119 muggy nights a year, mold in Webster County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
Webster County covers 210 square miles of southwest Georgia, with about 2,381 residents and 1,143 homes. Preston is the county seat; Webster County is the next largest community. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1987.
48/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Webster County ranks 97 of 159 Georgia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Webster County ranks highest compared with other Georgia counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Webster County sits near the middle of the state. It averaged 23 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 1 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 159 Georgia counties that's 85th.
Hard freezes are uncommon here, about 23 nights a year at or below 32°F, and that's exactly why they do damage: pipes in attics, exterior walls and slab-edge plumbing are rarely insulated. The coldest night in the record was about 13°F on December 24, 2022.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Georgia. The county gets about 53.9 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 13.7 days of an inch or more (28th of 159). Those downpours cluster in January, April and December, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 4.72 inches on April 20, 2020. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.43 inches, ending September 27, 2024, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 23 days a year. Each cycle melts and refreezes water at roof edges and in foundation cracks, which is how ice dams and basement seepage get started.
Housing
34% of homes in Webster County predate 1980, below the Georgia county median of 38.4%, which ranks 99th of Georgia's 159 counties.
Housing age is mixed: 9% of homes are pre-1960 and 21% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 45% of the county's homes. If yours is from those decades, look under the sinks and at the water heater for gray plastic pipe stamped PB, which is polybutylene and leak-prone.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 51% of the housing here. Water lines in the underbelly depend on intact skirting and working heat tape, and they're usually the first to freeze in a cold snap.
With 26% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Beyond water
Webster County averages 119 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in December. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Webster County it's 5% utility gas, 76% electric, 18% propane and 1% wood. Propane heat is more common here than in most Georgia counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Webster County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Marion gets more pipe-freeze nights than Webster. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Terrell County has the oldest housing nearby, with 52% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Webster | Georgia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 9.4% | 15% | 119 of 159 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 34% | 38% | 99 of 159 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 21% | 27% | 111 of 159 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 51% | 21% | 3 of 159 |
| Vacant homes | 26% | 14% | 16 of 159 |
| Wood or propane heat | 19% | 7.1% | 26 of 159 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 1/yr | 2/yr | 85 of 159 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 14/yr | 12/yr | 28 of 159 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 23/yr | 29/yr | 96 of 159 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 119/yr | 112/yr | 67 of 159 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Georgia county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Webster County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in January, April and December.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024); weather from NOAA nClimGrid-Daily county averages (EpiNOAA), 2015–2024, averaged across the county; county boundaries from Census TIGER. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Methodology